[New post] Woodland Christian High School alumni quartet set to become collegiate athletes
Shaun Holkko posted: "At the end of May, Woodland Christian High School celebrated four student-athletes who will continue their college athletic careers across three states. Members of the baseball, boys basketball and girls soccer teams signed on to continue playing at the " Daily Democrat
At the end of May, Woodland Christian High School celebrated four student-athletes who will continue their college athletic careers across three states.
Members of the baseball, boys basketball and girls soccer teams signed on to continue playing at the next level on May 26 at the Jack Hamlin Gym.
Baseball
The varsity baseball team led the way for the Cardinals with two signees. One of the players transferred to WCHS for his senior year, while the other was a four-year varsity starter.
Jordan Sacramento transferred to WCHS last year after attending Davis Senior High School. In his short time as a Cardinal, Sacramento made an impact in each season as a three-sport athlete.
The 6-foot-3 bruiser played tight end and outside linebacker for the football team in the fall, contributing to a squad that made an appearance in the Division VII section title game.
Sacramento then took his talents to the court and suited up for the boys basketball team. The Cardinals won 22 straight games this past season and advanced to the D5 semifinals. While on the basketball team, Sacramento played for head coach Casey Neimeyer, who also serves as the school's athletic director.
"He's just a specimen. You look at him and just think, 'Golly, he's already a grown man!' I'm kind of scared to see what he comes back looking like after he's been in a college weight room," Neimeyer said. "He's a great personality, he works hard and loves the team environment. That's a big reason he wanted to find a place to play. I also think that he brings a confidence about you when you have a guy like that on your team. Even at the college level, he brings that element.
"I know for him, if he can get his mechanics dialed in on the mound, he's got the velocity that he needs. He just needs to dial it in, be able to control the game and throw strikes."
In the spring, Sacramento returned to the field, this time of the diamond variety to pitch and play in the outfield for head coach John Rodegerdts on the baseball team. The Cardinals reached the D7 semifinals but ultimately fell short in the postseason.
"His biggest strength is hitting, he's a beast! He surprised me with being able to have contact hits, not just home runs or blasts," Rodegerdts recalled. "He was really good with two strikes. He could shorten his swing up and get a single or double. He hasn't reached his full potential."
After sitting out half the season due to the transfer rule, Sacramento quickly made an impact, including in emphatic fashion during game one of the semifinals against Ripon Christian.
"When he transferred over to us and then had to sit out a month or so of the season, he had some catching up to do but his swing was good enough, even if he hadn't used it in a while," Rodegerdts explained. "I think if he bears down, his swing is where his potential is at. He has a good arm, he'll be a good outfielder."
Sacramento will remain close to home as he plays baseball for Jessup University in Rocklin beginning next year.
"He's just a beast of a man so he's going to be able to hit some home runs for William Jessup, for sure," Rodegerdts foreshadowed.
Woodland Christian graduate Jordan Sacramento signs his letter of intent on May 26 to play baseball at Jessup University in Rocklin. (Maya Sprenkel/Courtesy)
Woodland Christian graduate Evan Bihlman signs his letter of intent on May 26 to play baseball at De Anza College in Cupertino. (Maya Sprenkel/Courtesy)
Woodland Christian graduate Emily Wade signs her letter of intent on May 26 to play soccer at Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon. (Maya Sprenkel/Courtesy)
Woodland Christian graduate Wyatt Rumfelt celebrates with boys basketball coach Casey Neimeyer after signing his letter of intent on May 26 to play basketball at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. (Samantha Rumfelt/Courtesy)
The baseball team's other signee is pitcher and shortstop, Evan Bihlman, who overcame adversity every step of the way. Bihlman earned salutatorian honors for the Class of 2023 and told an entertaining anecdote about how he made the varsity team as an undersized freshman.
"Going the extra mile can often feel useless while you do it," Bihlman explained on June 10. "While I understand that feeling, keep in mind that you never know when it will pay off. As I think back to times when I went the extra mile, I remember my freshman year. I stood at the towering height of 5'3 and a staggering weight of 95 pounds. So there I was trying out for the varsity baseball team. At tryouts, the coach put all the returning starters out on the field and had me and all the other scrawny ones be the base runners.
"When it was my turn to run, I sprinted as fast as my little legs would take me to first base. I saw the fielder bobbled the ball, realized it was finally my chance to prove what I can do and I took off running for second base. It caught the defense by surprise and I actually managed to be called safe at second. The coach stopped the whole practice right there and he told me to go get my glove so he could try me out in the field to see what I can do. The rest, as they say, is history. From that moment on, I started in every varsity baseball game for the rest of my career."
According to Rodegerdts, Bihlman led the team with his play rather than his voice most of the time.
"He has a ton of potential, I don't think he's reached his potential yet," Rodegerdts proclaimed. "I tell all my kids, 'If you want to continue to play, play as long as you can because it's going to end at some point.' Baseball always ends at some point, even if you make it to the Major Leagues. He's got a ton of potential, I think his swing can get better, not that it's bad now."
Bihlman is headed to Cupertino where he will play baseball for De Anza College.
"He'll shine there because of his work ethic and determination of being the best that he can be," Rodegerdts said. "The coaches are going to love that because he works hard. He's that kid where he's already doing something that you haven't even told him to do [yet]. His determination is going to carry him a long way."
Boys basketball
Similar to Sacramento, Wyatt Rumfelt transferred to Woodland Christian as an upperclassmen. However, he had one extra year with the Cardinals after joining the basketball team as a junior. Rumfelt scored over 1,000 points in less than two seasons at WCHS.
Moving to a new school became a regular occurrence for Rumfelt growing up as a "military kid," according to his mom, Samantha. However, Rumfelt found a home in Woodland, playing point guard for Neimeyer.
"I'm very excited for Wyatt. I know this was a dream of his to be able to play at the next level, he put in a lot of work to achieve this," Neimeyer said. "I know him and his dad, they really put in the work and found a good home for him. He can really excel out there if he puts his nose down and puts in the work."
Rumfelt will be traveling the furthest for college among his peers as he is headed to Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, to play for their men's basketball team.
"He's been playing basketball a long time and knows the game," Neimeyer explained. "He has a real ability to take over a game when he wants to. I think he does have some areas to mature his game and I think the college-level coaching in that environment is going to really bring that out of him at another level. I think he'll progress leaps and bounds, it's a whole different world when you get to college, he's going to be eating, sleeping [and] breathing basketball, so I think it will bring a lot of his true talent to the surface."
Girls soccer
The lone female signee hails from the girls soccer team in co-captain Emily Wade. In her senior season, Wade led the Cardinals to an appearance in the D6 playoffs.
"She's extremely coachable, she definitely has a servant's heart, which is really good because sometimes kids with skill sets have a tendency to lean on their skill and not trying to better themselves," said girls soccer coach Roman Ochoa. "She's really open to suggestions and growth. The last four years have portrayed nothing but growth. So it's really cool to see her at this next level, it's a good program.
"Definitely a lot of growth will happen, not because she's lacking, but because she's willing and able to grow where it's needed, which is really cool."
Wade is the other signee moving to another state as she plans to attend Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon.
"Like any athlete, she's persistent, consistent [and] she's hard-working. If anything, she's not afraid of her flaws," Ochoa explained. "I think that, more importantly, is what really drew me to her as a captain. Picking her as a captain allowed her to take control of the team. It was always, 'Hey, how do I get better?' Versus, 'Hey, just give me the ball!' I think that's a huge strength that some people may see as a weakness, I think that it's a really big strength."
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